After finishing the longer-than-usual end-of-month evaluations, the fervor that filled the evaluations quickly shifted towards preparing for the midterms. The only difference from the first semester was that this time, the exam scope included the material taught during the awakening theory class.
As usual, since the study group for exam preparation was held in the room where Sihyun stayed, sharing the room with the students of Class A, Sihyun checked on Jihye and Haeun, who had fallen asleep tired while studying, before observing the condition of the other kids.
It hadn't been more than three hours since they started studying, but Hamin yawned, and Gunwoo nodded off intermittently. Haru, who had a quick learning ability, had been able to handle his share quite well since the last exam without Sihyun's help, perhaps finding joy in accomplishing something on his own lately, he wasn't tired these days and was concentrating well. Yooseowoo was always excellent without saying anything. If he wasn't the top student, who else could take the title?
Anyway, since it was a study session led by me, the kids wouldn't leave their seats without my saying so. After checking the time for a moment, Sihyun hesitated before speaking up. The exam scope wasn't that broad, and there was only Gunwoo who was on the brink of failing, so it seemed okay to take a break by now.
"Shall we take a short break?"
"I was wondering when you'd say that."
As if waiting for those words, Hamin closed the workbook and got up from his seat, crawling onto Sihyun's bed.
"Go to your own bed, Hamin."
"It's on the second floor."
"So what?"
"I'm lazy. It's a waste of time."
There was indeed plenty to do. Since I planned to give them plenty of rest this time, I told him not to be lazy and go upstairs. As Hamin buried his face in Sihyun's pillow and closed his eyes, he sent a skeptical glance.
"For a few minutes."
"20 minutes?"
"Wow, that's generous."
"Hmm?"
"Never mind. You're a kid who wouldn't rest even for 8 hours if not told to. Even though you're the most tired one after the end-of-month evaluation, studying until midnight every day to prepare for exams, and the one who woke up the earliest on weekends."
Muttering as if he were fed up, Hamin closed his eyes again.
"I want to play."
"...."
After the conversation with Hamin ended, Down, who had broken the flowing silence, spoke up. Uttering mathematical formulas with his head resting on the desk, he had lost his composure upon hearing that the difficulty of this exam had risen significantly.
"I want to goof off... like, absolute value and nonsense...."
After studying hard for three hours and feeling like something was about to break, he seemed to have reached his limit. At his muttering, Haeun, who had been lying sprawled out on the floor like a crumpled slime, suddenly got up. Although she was the first one to collapse and rest, her expression was full of dissatisfaction.
"When can we go out to play?"
"After the exams."
"But the end-of-month evaluations are over, can't we just go out to play?"
"No. There are two weeks left until the exams."
"But there are still two weeks!"
"It's only two weeks left."
Responding calmly with a steady tone regardless of the pitch of her voice, Sihyun looked at Haeun, who was puffing up her cheeks. She looked like a small pufferfish. Seeing Sihyun maintaining his composure while answering amidst her constant barrage, Haeun pouted even more. "Is Kang Sihyun jealous by any chance?" she teased.
"Who? Kang Sihyun? Not a chance."
Down, who was fused with the desk, scoffed at Haeun's words. Seeing him speaking on my behalf, Sihyun, after observing the kids who couldn't concentrate other than Seowoo and Haru, turned his pen.
The sharp pencil between his fingers spun steadily. When the number of spins increased to four, Sihyun concluded his brief contemplation.
"How about studying for two more hours and then playing in the room?"
"What about playing now and then studying for two hours later?"
"No. It'll disrupt my concentration."
It's not even close to being efficient. Upon rejecting the suggestion that seemed utterly inefficient, Haeun sighed in frustration. Hearing Hamin humming a melancholic song, clutching Haru's pillow behind him and murmuring, "Haeun lost her parents at a young age and was bullied by Sihyun and Hamin," Hamin, who had been dozing off, irritably threw the pillow.
The perfectly arched pillow landed precisely on Haeun's face, still humming.
"Stop singing, Haeun."
"Sihyun! He threw a pillow at me!"
"Kang Sihyun, Kang Haeun is complaining."
"...."
So, what do you want me to do?
Looking at them, who were not even my parents and often pointed out each other's wrongdoings to me, Sihyun frowned. Then, he blinked as he suddenly noticed something odd in Hamin's words.
"Complaining?"
When Sihyun asked, wondering what part of Haeun's words could be considered a complaint, Hamin, who had just woken up and was rubbing his head, looked at Sihyun with a puzzled expression. He seemed to think there was nothing strange about what he said.
"What complaint?"
"What?"
"What is Haeun complaining about?"
When asked again, Hamin hesitated to answer, then finally turned to Haeun with a puzzled expression. He seemed to be gauging something.
"You didn't know?"
"What didn't I know?"
"...."
Seeing him asking suddenly if he didn't know, Hamin hesitated to speak. Wondering what he was trying to say, Sihyun waited quietly, but the answer came unexpectedly from an unexpected place.
"Oh, I don't have a mom!"
"....?"
"That's right, I don't have a dad either. Wasn't that what I was trying to say?"
Despite the topic of conversation, her voice was unexpectedly cheerful. Hearing her cheerful tone, which sounded like they were going on a picnic tomorrow, Sihyun was taken aback. Whether Hamin thought he made a mistake in speaking or not, he ruffled his hair roughly.
"Sorry."
In response to his short apology, Haeun nodded, saying she was fine. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Not knowing what to say to ease it, Sihyun remained silent. Though his body had parents, he couldn't judge Haeun as unfortunate when she looked bright, and he himself couldn't claim to be unfortunate when his parents were there for him.
It seemed like the right answer, as Haeun, who was drawing a V with her finger without showing any sign of wavering, suddenly bumped into the dozing Gunwoo. Gunwoo, who kept nodding his head up and down, was startled and jerked awake.
Gunwoo's deep, blue eyes, which seemed slightly larger than usual, looked at Haeun.
"...What's going on?"
"Explain to me quickly that I have a great stepfather!"
Haeun, who woke up the sleeping Gunwoo, said shamelessly. Gunwoo, who looked a bit puzzled for a moment, sighed after pointing at Sihyun with his finger following Haeun's gesture.
"He's our father's friend's son."
"Who?"
"Haeun."
"He's adopted!"
Gunwoo and Haeun spoke in turn. Putting together Gunwoo's and Haeun's words, Sihyun summarized the situation. It seemed that Kang Haeun, who lost her parents and became an orphan, was adopted by the son of Baek Geonu's father's friend.
"So, you don't have to be careful or anything! It happened when I was so young that I don't even remember."
Her voice was sunnier than the topic she was talking about. Hearing her cheerful tone, Sihyun was bewildered.
And there was no shadow in the sight of my new father telling me that everything was fine. Watching Haeun skip around playing with the topic that could be potentially depressing, Sihyun smiled faintly.
Seeing Hamin lean over and laugh as his face was pushed away, Sihyun felt pleased. But as he continued to watch, he felt an inexplicable unease creeping into his heart and lowered his gaze.
She can be so bright.
Thinking that, someone suddenly tapped Sihyun's arm. Turning his head, despite it being break time, Hamin, who had been diligently solving problems and marking answers, showed him a problem booklet filled with perfect scores.
"I'm done."
He said in a small voice. Sihyun, momentarily not understanding the situation, smiled lightly when he realized what Hamin wanted.
"Well done."
Taking out a stamp from his pencil case that said 'Well Done,' Sihyun stamped it on Hamin's cheek, making him blush slightly. Sihyun gently patted Hamin's head. Since his bangs made it hard to touch the front of his head, they had agreed to pat his back when doing so.
With his tousled black hair, glasses removed, Seowoo patted his forehead a couple of times before handing Sihyun the problem booklet he had been working on. Nonchalantly opening his mouth, he said.
"From page 102 to page 128."
"...What?"
"Why did you give it to me?"
Suddenly handing him the booklet and asking, Seowoo glanced at Hamin. Understanding what he wanted in a flash, Sihyun, who was wearing an incredulous expression, hesitated for a moment before checking Seowoo's solved booklet.
It was also perfect.
While Hamin solved a dozen or so pages, Sihyun stamped every page for him and looked at Seowoo with eyes that asked if he was satisfied now. With a faint smile, Seowoo approached him. Feeling a bit tense again, Sihyun momentarily wondered if he should sit in Hamin's usual seat on the right, but Seowoo took the left seat that was originally Sihyun's, holding out a white hand with a stamp.
"I'm not here?"
"What?"
"That."
He glanced at Hamin being petted by Sihyun and then laughed. Wondering if he wanted him to pet him too, Sihyun hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out his hand.
As he lifted his hand over Seowoo's platinum hair, Seowoo's pupils curved. It seemed to be the right answer. Feeling somewhat detached as he petted the two who were fawning over him, Sihyun praised the two jokingly.
You did well because you worked hard.
It was surprising that even Seowoo was saying such things, but if he wanted praise, there was no reason not to give it. Regardless of what anyone said, they were the two who worked the hardest, so Sihyun kept petting them, and Haeun, who had stopped arguing with Hamin, opened her eyes and looked at Sihyun.
Embraced by the harmonious trio, Haeun leaned against Sihyun with a sigh. Finding it amusing, Jihye joined in, and Down, brought by Jihye, sat quietly nearby while scolding them for their antics.
As it went on, Hamin, who had been standing alone, also approached and occupied the seat in front of Sihyun.
"...."
"Why do you look like that?"
"...I just feel like I'm the lucky tree."
Suddenly surrounded by seven boys and girls, Sihyun sighed and replied to Hamin's question. He glanced at the clock. There were still 10 minutes left until break time.
For the next 10 minutes, he couldn't even move an inch.
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